The Beach

A late lush moonlit dinner on the rocks
The candle light can\’t hold a candle to
Real lone one- Surf and turf on the plate
With swell splash on feet, life not on the rocks
Invite me to their night out- sure they do
Ah! Now I grasp- so furtive is their gait
O raw wintry wind! Know well that thee creep
Alone I am not- alway muses my keep.

All a sudden waketh me, thin first ray
Ah! Where gone my late night mate and Whom he
Feart- Sun or I? Nary a worry, friend
Thy secrets hide in heart- Or doth he say
A message- Cyclic rise and fall of sea
And ebb and flow of life- ne\’er shall they end
Heave-ho! Fisherfolk hauleth back long boats
O watery wave! On thy back their life floats.

Cute nude blonde little ones fain diggin\’ neat
Pits in the wet sand to stow valu\’d toy
Ah! Bury egos in that grave fore\’er
Half-nude fair Slavic mothers dodge the heat
Tread water long way, I dare say- nice ploy
Tann\’d grooms run a race with crabs- Win they ne\’er
The wide blue yonder- Azure fills the blue
O rich Rainbow! The crown he wore anew.

A tangy light breeze on my back as I
Take a stroll little in the Sun so mild
Why the quick feet get not stuck in the sand?
Across the cliff in the north, climb with sigh
Ah! Emerald pool- Nature\’s own love child
On other side- the welcome very grand
O lovely lagoon! I look starry-eyed
What made bitter and sweet lie side by side?

Behold the magic! Blue mutate to Gold
And waning Sun – doth he covet to burn
The cold sea that real bad wish to drown
Ah! All at sea- hope he again comes bold
On the morrow to make the ocean churn
Drum circle comes up on full blast to down
The fast beat tunes all shake a leg or two
O untam\’d twilight! On thy lap time flew.

Ah! Little carnival unfold on beach
And bright flea market under lunar eye
So simple yet a riot of hues blind
The sweet scent of coal barbecue beseech
Waft in the air to give me a huge high
May be the morning catch but not one mind
O salty sand! Thou drug to make me slave
I give my word- shall comeback like a wave.

P.S: This poem has 6 stanzas with 8 lines each. Iambic pentameter with ABCABCDD rhyming sequence. It\’s based on my recent trip to Arambol beach in Goa which still retains a bohemian feel (happily, I must add). The beach which is surprisingly clean is full of European backpackers, mostly Russians who come here on chartered flights to enjoy the warm sun, sands and the hospitality of friendly locals (a little Feni and Marijuana too????). All the little things described in the poem are true, including the drum circle, flea market and the small lake where it\’s beleived that in the1960s, the Beatles medidated under a banyan tree.
Each stanza describes the events occurring during a particular time of the day and the last couplet of each stanza eulogises a particular aspect of Nature. 1. Late night and wind. 2. Early morning and wave. 3. Late morning and rainbow. 4. Late afternoon and lagoon. 5. Sunset and twilight. 6. Late evening and sand.
Loads and loads of jolly good play of words and a few clichés too. ????
Again, lot of wild imagination and a little philosophcal wandering but what\’s a poem without all these!
Last but not the least (definitely, the last of clichés for the day ????), plz allow me to applaud my good friends Hitesh, Guru and Manoj who helped to make this lovely beach our very own.

P.S 2: Meanings and explanation
On the rocks – poured over ice (with alcoholic beverages), surf and turf- main course combining seafood and red meat, can\’t hold a candle to- to not be as good as the person or thing mentioned, on the rocks- (another meaning) In a bad state, particularly of a romantic relationship, surf- the mass foam formed by waves breaking on a seashore, night out- typically implies going to a discotheque or other types of urban nightlife, gait- manner of walking, raw-cold and damp; bleak, furtive- secretive, thee- you, alway- always, muse- an instance or period of reflection.
The author is having a sumptuous candle light dinner (of seafood) sitting on the beach (guess, red wine would go down well with it but alas, I am a teetotaler☹️), on a November night with the waves washing his feet. He wonders the need for candles when the original ie., the moon is smiling brightly on the horizon. With Moon and sea to give company and mouth-watering food on the table, he thinks that life is very romantic. He feels that the waves are actually inviting him to a late night party and that\’s why they are so secretive. But he doesn\’t like the accompanying cold wind and therefore declines the invite declaring that he is not alone and his thoughts always keep him busy.

Waketh- wake, Feart- afraid, nary- not, thy- your, doth- do.
The author who slept on the beachfront is suddenly awakened by the first rays of the Sun. The first thing he does is to look for his companion for the night, the sea. But to his great surprise, now the sea has ingressed a lot and not splashing near him as it did yesterday night. He wonders whether it\’s afraid of the morning Sun or may be even him. He assures the sea that there is no need to run away from him as its rave party secrets of the night are safe with him. He understands that the high and low tides exemplify the ups and downs of life. Since they will be there for ever, there is no point in losing sleep over it and it\’s better to take life as it comes. Then he sees the fishermen coming back with their night\’s catch after their sojourn in the sea. As they heave their boats securely to the beach, the author thank the sea for bringing them safely back to their families and not burying them in a watery grave.

Fain- gladly, Fair- beautiful, Slavic- most of the eastern European people including Russians, tread water- float in deep waters, the wide blue yonder- the far or unknown distance, azure- sky blue, rich – colourful.
As the day wears on, the author sees more activity on the shore with families coming out to enjoy the morning Sun. Cute kids play on the wet sand (made wet by the now retreated sea) by digging small pits and then, they jump into the pit with their toys as if to hide from the passers-by. Seeing their joyful innocence, the author feels that we can also enjoy the bounty of nature by burying our egos which we unfortunately gain during adult life. The kids\’ mothers (mostly Russian) escape the heat by floating in the cool waters of the sea for long time. Their husbands who have been tasked to take care of the children, kill their boredom by trying to catch the crabs which are now emerging out of their holes as the sea has retreated. But these guys never succeed in their endeavour. Then the poet gets to see the colourful rainbow far beyond on the horizon where the sea meets the sky. He imagines that the rainbow looks like a crown sitting on the head of the ocean.

Tangy- having a strong, piquant flavor or smell (due to the salt content), starry-eyed – naively enthusiastic.
During the late afternoon, the author takes a stroll on the beach. A nice sea breeze starts to blow which makes the heat tolerable. The Sun has dried the wet sand. So it\’s now easier to walk. He crosses a small hill on the northern side of the beach. As he descends onto the other side, he is mesmerized by the sight of a beautiful green freshwater pond that is separated from the sea only by a small sand bar. He is baffled by the unseen mysteries of Nature. But he convinces himself that like good and evil may go together in life at times, the salt and sweet waters may lie very close to each other.

Covet- yearn to possess, all at sea- confused or unable to decide what to do ( in this case it also could mean that the Sun has been swallowed by the sea), morrow- next day morning, shake a leg- to hurry (also means to dance), twilight- the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon.
As the author returns from the lake, he is fortunate to see a magical sunset which turns the blue waters of the sea into a Golden hue. He imagines that the sea is trying to drown the Sun which tries to escape by burning the waters but fails miserably in its attempt. The poet hopes that the Sun will escape the ocean\’s clutches the next morning and take revenge on it. At this time, the famous drum circle of the Arambol beach starts their daily music which attracts one and all to the beach. No one standing there can control their urge to dance to the fast rhythmic beats of the drum and other instruments. The lovely evening seems to last forever.

Flea market- a street market selling second-hand or cheap goods, beseech- ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat.
After the sunset, the foreigners start a colorful market on the beach where they sell handicrafts made by them. The moon which now is high in the sky watches this little carnival and also the barbecue done by locals. The author who loves the seafood feels drugged by the smell of fried fish. He promises the sand that he will come back soon to enjoy all these sensual treats again.

Writer- Ravi R. Chokkalingam